Student Question
Why does Mrs. Yeobright die in The Return of the Native?
Quick answer:
Mrs. Yeobright dies in The Return of the Native due to a combination of emotional heartbreak and a snake bite. She feels rejected by her son, Clym, when Eustacia does not open the door for her, and while walking home, she is bitten by an adder. Hardy uses her death to illustrate his fatalistic philosophy and to heighten the novel's tragic tension.
I am not sure if you are asking the cause of Mrs. Yeobright's death or if you are asking why Hardy chooses to have her die in the novel; so I'll answer both versions of the question.
1. Cause of death : Mrs Yeobright idolizes her son Clym and is, of course, unhappy when he chooses to marry such a controversial figure as Eustacia. After the marriage takes place, several events occur which serve only to strengthen Mrs. Yeobright's disapproval of her new daughter-in-law. One day, Clym's mother decides to travel to his cottage to make amends and to set things straight. However, Clym does not know that she has arrived at his door, and Eustacia does not open the door to her mother-in-law. When Mrs. Yeobright realizes that someone is inside and just refuses her entry, she leaves broken-hearted, believing that she has been rejected by her own son. She...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
slowly tries to walk home but is overcome with the heat and her heavy heart. When she sits down to rest, she is bitten by an adder, and Clym later finds her, still alive, but she soon dies without knowing that her son did not reject her and, instead, tried to save her.
2. Hardy's choice to kill off Mrs. Yeobright's character: Mrs. Yeobright's death is simply another view of Hardy's fatalistic philosophy that Providence flirts with humans but does nothing to intervene on their behalf. The author would argue to his critics that it was Mrs. Yeobright's fate to arrive when her son was asleep and for her to be killed by the bite of an adder. Life on the heath is difficult and unforgiving, and Mrs. Yeobright's death not only exemplifies that truth but also serves to propel the tension between Clym and Eustacia, leading to the novel's tragic ending.